Imperforate drum combination clothes washer and dryer



June 19, 1962 E H. SMITH 3,039,285

IMPERFORATE DRUM COMBINATION CLOTHES WASHER AND DRYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1960 IN VEN TOR.

WAM www W' @W June 19, 1962 E, H. SMITH 3,039,285

IMPERF'ORATE DRUM COMBINATION CLOTHES WASHER AND DRYER Filed Jan. 27, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR umm WM United States Patent 3,039,285 IMPERFORATE DRUM COMBINATION CLOTHES WASEER AND DRYER Ellwood H. Smith, Erie, Pa., assigner to Lovell Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 5,011 14 Claims. (Cl. 68-19) This invention is a combination c-lothes washer and dryer having an imperforate `drum rotated on a horizontal axis for washing, rinsing, centrifugal extracting and complete drying.

In the drawing, lFIG. l is a front view of .the machine, FIG. 2 is a back View, FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation, =FIG. 4 is a front view partly broken away, IFIG. 5 is a sectional view of the seal for the front of the drum, FIG. 6 is a detail of one of the rollers supporting the front of the drum, and FIG. 7 is a view of an electric heating element which can be substituted for the gas burner shown in FIG. 4.

The machine is enclosed in a cabinet 1 having in its front wall a circular opening 2 closed by a hinged door 3 having a circular projection or plug 4 which in the closed position tits in and blocks the opening 2 except for the upper part Where the projection has a flattened surface 5 defining a passageway 5a in the upper quadrant of the opening 2 through which water is introduced for washing and rinsing and through which heated air is introduced for drying. This limited passageway between the dotted line i6 (FIG. 1) and the upper part of the circular opening 2 is so located as to be out of the path of the clothes.

At the back of the cabinet is a blower 7 driven by a belt 8 and having a `discharge 9 for connection to a vent line (not shown). The blower may be oriented to :direct the discharge to the side, back or top of the cabinet, as desired.

In use, clothes are loaded through the opening 2 and the door is closed. At the end of the operation, the door is opened to remove the clothes which have been washed, rinsed and dried. The single machine accordingly performs the combined functions of a clothes washer and a clothes dryer.

The supporting frame yfor the machine has cross rnernbers 10 and 11 adjacent the front and back walls of the cabinet and supported at each end by rubber mountings 12 adjacent levelling feet 13 mounted on the bottom wall 14 of the cabinet. The mountings are primarily for the purpose of cushioning vibration yduring the centrifugal extracting operation.

At the back of the yframe are spaced uprights 15 connected by a cross bar 16 on which is supported a base 17 for the blower 7. Fixed between the upper ends of the uprights is a housing 18 for an anti-friction bearing 19 mounted in the housing on a rubber ring 2t) which permits movement of the bearing necessary yfor alignment. The inner raceway 21 of the bearing is ixed on a cylindrical hub 22 concentric with the inlet 2.3 of the blower 7. The blower inlet has an annular felt washer 24 which makes sealing engagement with the end 25 of the hub. The felt washer permits limited movement of the hub relative to the blower. The hub has an outwardly projecting flange 26 bolted to the end wall 27 at the back of the drum. The wall 27 is imper-forate except for the center opening registering with the hub 22. Fixed to the end wall 27 is a baille having an imperforate dished center section 28 surrounding and spaced from a conical shield 29 secured to the hub 22. The side walls 30 of the dished section merge into a radially extending rim 31 which is joined to the end -wall 27 by a perforated Patented June 19, 19152 tapered section 32. The. perforated section 32 allows air to flow into the inlet of the blower in the direction indicated by arrows 32a. Water flowing through the perforated section 32 strikes to conical shield 29 and drains back into the drum. This is true whether the water enters the perforated section above or below the shield. The shield keeps water out of the blower without blocking the llow of air.

The drum has an imperforate peripheral wall 33 extending between the end Wall 27 and an imperforate end wall 34 at the front of the drum. The peripheral wall 3.3 is imperforate and increases in diameter on a taper between the end walls 27 and 34. At the end wall 34 there is an abrupt increase in diameter indicated at 35 providing an annular chamber 36 of greater diameter than lthe drum into which water drains through perforations 37. Spaced from the end wall 34 is an imperforate wall 38 which serves as the front wall of the drum. The annular chamber 36 is drained by a suction tube 39 connected to a pump as hereinafter described. Between the end walls 34 and 27 of the drum are suitable ribs 40 which assist in tumbling the clothes for washing and drying.

At the front, the drum is supported by two rol-1ers 41 carried by brackets `42 fixed to spaced uprights 43 of the frame and riding on a iiange 44 on the wall 38V of the drum. The drum has a three point support (bearing 19 and rollers 41) which inherently accommodates misalignment due -to the llexibility provided by the rubber ring 20.

Leakage of water at the Ifront of the drum is prevented by a circular felt seal '4S mounted on the inner surface of the flange 44 and having a plurality of grooves 46 receiving ribs 47 on an annular seal l48 supported by a thimble or collar 49 having a flange `4901 xed to uprights 43 and to cross members 50 and 63 extending between the uprights of the frame. Spaced radially inward of the collar 49 is a concentric collar- 51 likewise xed to the frame. The collar S1 has at its front a flange 52 carrying a seal 53 bearing against a flange 54 on the collar `49. At its opposite end the collar 51 extends close to an arcuate 4lip 55 on the end walls 34.

During washing, the water level in the annular chamber 36l will average to be the same `as in the drum and there will be considerable splashing of water Within the chamber as well as within the drum as the clothes are tumbled. Some water may enter the chamber through the gap 56 between the collar 51 and the rim or lip 55. Other water may enter the chamber through the perforations 37. The labyrinth seal provided by the grooves 46 in cooperation with the sealing member 47 prevents any leakage of water out the -front of the drum. Leakage through the door is prevented by a gasket 57 carried by the door and engaging a rounded surface 58 on the collar 51.

During washing, the drum is filled to the ydesired level through a till tube 58a having a nozzle 5817 discharging through the passageway 5a and the drum is rotated to tumble the clothes. As shown in FIG. 4, the lill tube extends from the valve 59 up through the space between the front of the drum and one of the uprights 43 and enters the passageway 5a through an opening 58e in the collar 49 and an opening `65 in the collar 51, both openings being in the upper quadrant of the collars and opposite the plug y4 which keeps clothes and water away from the openings. The quantity of Water and its ternperature are suitably controlled by a valve 59. At the end of washing, the wash water is pumped out of the tub by a pump 6e) connected to the suction tube 39. Rinse water is then added through the nozzle SSb and the drum rotated to tumble the clothes. During the rinsing operation, the pump continually removes the rinse water.

The quantity of water required for washing and rinsing is small. For a drum having a mean diameter of 28 inches and an axial length of 14 inches, only four gallons of water is required for washing and live gallons yfor rinsing. At the end of the rinsing cycle, the speed of rotation of the drum is increased to centrifugal extracting speed and the water extracted from the clothes by centrifugal torce flows into the chamber 36 and is continuously pumped out. At this stage, the clothes are washed, rinsed and damp dried and are ready for the drying operation.

Heat for the drying operation is supplied by a heater, gas 61a or electric 61h, located at the lower end of a stove 6i (FIG. 4) supported on one of the uprights 43. The stove is located between the front wall of the cabinet and the end wall 3S of the drum. The upper end of the stove discharges into a duct 62' supported on a cross member 63 between the uprights 443 and extending across the top of the cabinet. On its under side the duct 62 has a connecting duct 64 having its lower end discharging through an opening 65 in the upper quadrantof the collar 51. The heated air entering the opening 65 ows through the passageway a. The projection 5r on the door prevents blocking of the passageway by clothes. The heated -air iiows axially yacross the drum which is rotated at tumbling speed and is withdrawn from the drum by the blower 7 as previously described. The axial flow of heated air in conjunction with the imperforate drum provides intimate contact of the heated air with the clothes required for eicient drying. The construction of the stove yand the associated duct Work is such that the water for washing and rinsing does not escape through the passageways required for the flow of air during drying.

The power for driving the machine is obtained from a motor `66 connected through a two-speed transmission 67 to a shaft 68 carrying drive pulleys 69 and 70. The pulley 69 is fixed to the shaft 68 and drives the drum through a pulley 71 iixed tothe hub 22. The pulley 70 drives the blower through an over running clutch 72 between it and the shaft 68. By the use of an over running clutch, the blower runs only when the motor is driven in one direction. This makes it possible to' keep the blower stationary while the drum is rotated for washing and centrifugal extracting and to` drive the blower only when the drum is rotated in the reverse direction for drying. Suitable controlsindicated at 7 3 are provided for the direction of rotation of the motor at the speed of the transmission. The control may also include provisions for automatically controlling selected duration of the washing, rinsing and drying cycles, the temperature of the wash and rinse water, and any other features common in the art.

The adaptation of `an imperforate drum and the axial air flow to `a combination washer and dryer has materially reduced the cost and increased the eliiciency. Heretofore the combination machines have had perforate drums in an enclosing casing which required a much more complicated and heavier construction (from 40% to 50% or more greater weight for machines of the same or even lesser capacity). Also, the combination machines have had less. eh'icient drying due to the diliculty of bringing the heated air into Contact with the clothes in a construction whichmust be designed to hold water during washing.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a combination clothes washer and dryer, `an imperforatedrum` having front `and back headers and a peripheral wall vbetween the headers increasing in diameter toward the front header, each header being p-rovided with a hollow trunnion, a frame, bearing means on the frame for said trunnions, a fan for exhausting air from the drum carried by the frame and having an intake registering with the back header trunnio-n, a

baille inside the drum adjacent the back header having an imperforate dished section opposite the back trunnion, a hollow conical shield projecting from the back trunnion with its larger end projecting into said dished section, said bale having openings opposite the sides of said shield so that water splashing through the openings is deiiected by the shield away from the larger end of the shield, a drive pulley connected to the back header tmnnion, means `for driving said pulley at tumbling speeds tfor washing, rinsing `and drying and at a higher speed for centrifugal entr-acting, `a door opposite the front Aheader trunnion, a sleeve on the frame spaced radially inward from the front trunnion and dening a loading opening for clothes, a partition within the drum having an opening registering with said sleeve, a seal between said front trunnion. and said sleeve, a projection on the door extending into said sleeve and blocking escape of clothes, a passageway leading into the drum betweenthe upper side of said projection and' said sleeve, air heating means discharging to said passageway, a water fill tube discharging to said passageway, an enlarged diameter chamber between said front header and partition, drain holes leading to the chamber from adjacent the periphery of the drum, a pump, and a suction tube leading vfrom the bottom of the chamber to the pump inlet for withdrawing water from the drum.

2. Ina combination clothes washer and dryer, a drum having f-ront and back headers and a peripheral wall between the headers, an opening for exhausting air from the drum yat `the center of one of the headers, a baille ind side the drum adjacent said one header having an imperforate dished section opposite said opening, a hollow conical shield projecting trom said one header with its smaller end sealed to the header around said opening and its larger end projecting into said dished section', said baie having openings opposite the sides of said shield so that water splashing through the openings is deflected by the shield yaway from the larger end of the shield.

3. In a combination clothes washer and dryer, a drum having front and back headers and a peripheral wall be'- tween the headers, an opening for' exhausting air front the drum at the center of one of the headers, a ,bathe inJ side the drum adjacent said one header having an' imd perforate dished section opposite said opening, an air duct projecting from said one header with one end sealed to the header around said opening and its other end projecting into said dished section, said bathe having openings vopposite the sides of said duct so that water splashing through the openings strikes the sides of the duct.

4. In a combination clothes washer and dryer, an imJ perforate drum having front and back headers and a' peripheral wall between the headers, a frame, asleeve on the frame defining a loading opening for the drum, the front header having an opening through which said sleeve extends, a door on the frame closing, said opening, means for preventing leakage of water. through the inside of the sleeve, and means for preventing leakage of water Vthrough said front header opening around the outside of said sleeve comprising a stationary seal. member carried by the trame and a cooperating seal. member fixed to said front header.V Y

5. In a combination clothes washer yand dryer, animperforate drum having front and back headers and a peripheral wall between the headers, an opening in one of said headers, a sleeve radially inside and telescoped through said opening through which air llows for drying, said sleeve having an open inner end presented tothe interior of the drum constructed todrain water from the inside of the sleeve to the drum, means including an access door for blocking the ow of water through the inside of said sleeve, and seal means constructed to block the'ow of water between the outside of said sleeve and said one header.

6. In a combination clothes washer and dryer, an imperforate drum having front and back headers and a peripheral wall between the headers increasing in diameter toward the front header, each header being provided with a hollow trunnion providing inlet and outlet for axial flow of heated air through the drum for drying, a frame, bearing means on the frame for said trunnions, means for rotating the drum at tumbling speeds for washing, rinsing and drying and at a higher speed for centrifugal extracting, a door opposite the front header trunnion, a sleeve on the frame telescoped inside the front trunnion and defining a loading opening for clothes, a partition within the drum having an opening registering with said sleeve, a projection on the door extending into said sleeve and blocking escape of clothes, a passageway leading into the drum between the upper side of said projection and said sleeve, air heating means discharging to said passageway, a fan for moving heated air through said inlet and outlet for drying, a water ll tube discharging to said passageway, an enlarged diameter chamber between said front header and partition, drain holes leading to the chamber from adjacent the periphery of the drum, a pump, and a suction tube leading from the bottom of the chamber to the pump inlet for withdrawing water from the drum.

7. In a combination clothes washer and dryer, an imperforate drum having front and back headers and a peripheral wall between the headers increasing in diameter toward one of the headers, each header being provided with a hollow trunnion, a frame, bearing means on the frame for said trunnions, means for moving air into the drum through one trunnion and out of the drum through the other trunnion, a drive pulley connected to one of the trunnions, means for driving said pulley at tumbling speeds for washing, rinsing and drying and at a higher speed for centrifugal extracting, a door opposite the front header trunnion, a sleeve on the frame spaced radially inward from the front trunnion and defining a loading opening for clothes communicating with the interior of the drum through -said front trunnion, a partition within the drum adjacent the larger diameter header having an opening therein registering with the loading opening, an enlarged diameter chamber between said larger diameter header and partition, drain holes leading to the chamber from adjacent the periphery of the drum, and means for withdrawing water from said chamber.

8. In a combination clothes washer and dryer, an irnperforate drum having front and back headers and a peripheral wall between the headers increasing in diameter toward one of the headers, each header being provided with a hollow trunnion, a frame, bearing means on the frame for said trunnions, means for moving air into the drum through one trunnion and out of the drum through the other trunnion, means for driving said drum at tumbling speeds for washing, rinsing and drying and at a higher speed for centrifugal extracting, a door opposite the front header trunnion, a sleeve on the frame spaced radially inward from the front trunnion and deining a loading opening for clothes communicating with the interior of the drum through said front trunnion, a partition within the drum adjacent the larger diameter header having an opening therein registering with the loading opening, an enlarged diameter chamber between said larger diameter header and partition, drain holes leading to the chamber from adjacent the periphery of the drum, and a means for withdrawing water from said chamber.

9. In a combination clothes washer and dryer, an imperforate drum having front and back headers and a peripheral Wall between the headers increasing in diameter toward one of the headers, each header being provided with a central opening, a frame, means for rotatably supporting the drum on the frame, means for moving air into the drum through one of the openings and out of the drum through the other of the openings, heating means for the air entering the drum, means for rotating the drum at tumbling speeds for washing, rinsing and drying and at a higher speed for centrifugal extracting,I a `door opposite the front header opening, a sleeve on the' frame spaced radially inward from the front header opening and defining a loading opening for clothes communicating with the interior of the drum through said front trunnion, a partition within the drum adjacent the larger diameter header having an opening therein, registering with the loading opening, an enlarged diameter chamber between said larger diameter header and partition, drain holes leading to the chamber from adjacent the periphery of the drum, and means for withdrawing water from said chamber.

10. In a combination clothes washer and dryer, a clothes receiving drum, means for rotating the drum at tumbling speeds for washing, rinsing and drying and at higher 'speeds for centrifugal extracting, water supply and drain means, and a loading and unloading door at the front end of the drum, the improvement which comprises providing a central opening in each of the front and back ends of the drum, one opening being the air intake and the other the air discharge, a baille spaced in frontlof the back opening for keeping clothes away from said back opening, means for providing air passages to said back opening and including provisions for intercepting water splashing through said air passages, means including a plug on the door received in said front opening for keeping clothes away from said front opening and including means for preventing leakage of Water out said opening, means providing a passageway above the plug through the upper quadrant of the front opening, means for conducting air in a path extending into the drum through said passageway and through the air intake and out of the drum through the air discharge, air heating means in said path upstream of the air intake, and a blower for forcing air through said path.

1l. In a combination clothes washer and dryer, a clothes receiving drum, means for rotating the drum at tumbling speeds for washing, rinsing and drying and at higher speeds for centrifugal extracting, water supply and drain means, and a loading and unloading door at the front end of the drum, the improvement which comprises providing a central opening in each of the front and back ends of the drum, the front opening being the air intake and the back opening the air discharge, a baille spaced in front of the back opening for keeping clothes away from said back opening, means for providing air passages to said back opening and including provisions for intercepting water splashing through said air passages, means including a plug on the door received in said front opening for keeping clothes away from said front opening and including means for preventing leakage of water out said opening, said last means providing n a passageway above the plug through the upper quadrant of the front opening, air heating means including a duct leading to said passageway, and a blower having its intake connected to said back opening.

12. In a combination clothes washer and dryer, an imperforate drum having front and back headers each with a central opening and a peripheral wall between the headers increasing in diameter toward one header, a frame, bearing means for rotatably supporting the drum on the frame, means for rotating the drum at tumbling speeds for washing, rinsing and drying and at higher speeds for centrifugal extracting, a door opposite the front header, a sleeve on the frame spaced radially inward from the opening in the front header and defining a loading opening for clothes, a plug on the door extending into said sleeve and blocking escape of clothes, a passageway leading into the drum between the upper side of said plug and said sleeve, air heating means discharging to said passageway, a water fill tube discharging to said passageway, means for draining water from the drum, and an 7 exhaust fan having its intake connectedI to the opening in the back header.

13. In a combination clothes Washer and dryer, an imperforate drum having front and back headers and a peripheralwall between the headers, a frame, a sleeve on the frame through which the clothes may be loaded and unloaded, the front header having an opening through which said sleeve extends, a door on the frame closing said openng a rotatable seal member fixed on said front header and surrounding` said sleeve, a cooperating stationary seal member on said sleeve, said sleeve having an openingl in its upper quadrant in front of said rotatable se'al member, an air outlet in the back header, and a hotV air duct having its discharge directed through the opening in `the sleeve.

14. In a combination clothes Washerfand dryer, an irnperforate drum having, front and back headers and a peripheral Wall between theV headers, a frame, a sleeve on the frame through which the'clothes may be loaded and unloaded, the front header having an opening through which said sleeve extends, a door on the frame closing said opening,` a rotatable seal memberxed on said front header and surroundingsaid sleeve, a cooperating stationary seal( member on said sleeve, said sleeve having an opening inits upper quadrantl in front of said rotat- 8: able seal member, a plug on the door projecting into the Sleeve in the closed positionrof the door, said plug being opposite said openingin the sleeve in the closed position of the door, an air outlet'in the back header, and a hot airduct having its discharge directed through the opening in the sleeve and against said plug.

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